The present invention relates to a terminal device and an entertainment system for distributing various contents such as video game, movie, news and music; a method for managing such contents; a storage medium having recorded therein an information processing program; and a information processing program.
Besides the conventional way of distributing music data, game programs or other contents in a form of being stored in a storage medium such as CD-ROM, DVD-ROM and semiconductor memory, downloading using a personal computer of the user is becoming popular.
More specifically, for a case of downloading a desired content, the user makes an access from its own personal computer using a web browser stored therein to a predetermined server machine, and sends a request for distributing the desired content. The server machine then distributes the content requested by the user via a network to the personal computer of such user. On the side of the personal computer, the content distributed from the server machine is stored in a storage medium such as hard disk (HD). The user can thus obtain the desired content without using a storage medium such as CD-ROM or DVD-ROM.
In the previous system, the user could freely access the content once it was downloaded into the personal computer, since the content was stored in a region in the hard disk which is accessible using a user application program. Thus the previous content once downloaded into the personal computer could freely be used or enjoyed.
There is, of course, no limitation on free access to the downloaded content by a user formally paid the charge for the use or enjoyment. It has, however, been difficult to prevent unauthorized use such that downloading the content in an illegal manner, or such that paying no charge despite the downloading of the content is permitted under promise of post payment.
It is, however, predicted that distribution of content through network will grow more prosperous in the future, and such network distribution and unauthorized use will unfortunately become more apparent in the future.